Historical Geology Preassessment

Where would you find the oldest rock layers

• On the top
• On the bottom
• In the middle
• Through other rock layers

What percent of isotopes of U-238 would be remaining after 2 half lives?

• 100%
• 75%
• 50%
• 25%

What is the oldest rock layer?

• F
• R
• M
• P

The method used to tell if one rock layer is older than another is called

• complete dating
• relative dating
• absolute dating
• fossil dating

The radioactive decay of material can be used to determine the age of fossils. This is called

• fossil dating
• complete dating
• relative dating
• absolute dating

What statement is true about geologic history?

• The Mesozoic era is subdivided into epochs.
• Geologic time has come to an end.
• Earth today is in the Cenozoic era, Quaternary period, and Holocene epoch
• The order of geologic time eras, from most recent to earliest time, is Paleozoic, Cenozoic,Mesozoic.

What name is given to the earliest time span in the history of Earth?

• Cambrian
• Paleozoic
• Cenozoic
• Precambrian

The type of fossil that is widespread over a large geographical range over a short geologic time frame is called

• a marine fossil
• an index fossil
• an analogous fossil
• a wide span fossil

Due to the nature of radioactive decay

• the half-life is always quick
• the half-life is always slow
• the original sample never dissipates
• the original sample dissipates quickly

Which of these is the best indication of the relative age of a rock layer?

• The thickness of the layer
• The position of the layer compared to other layers
• The distance the layer extends over the Earth
• The chemical makeup of the layer